Writing Samples
Leveraging your current gig to get the next effectively and ethically
As you finish up your summer associate program or internship, I am hopeful that many of you have worked on a project (or hopefully several) that you can use as a writing sample for the future. After all, internships and other professional experiences are not freestanding. They build on each other and the application and interview for your next job will likely focus in no small part on the last.
So before you finish up, here are a few suggestions:
Get Permission. As I have talked about several times this summer, lawyers take confidentiality very seriously and for good reason. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use work product from one job as a writing sample for the next. But it does mean you must ask and get permission from your supervisor (who may also seek permission from the client). If the document you seek to use is a general research project or publicly filed or posted document then your supervisor likely won’t object so long as you remove metadata. And even if it isn’t, you may be able to redact the document in ways which will make your supervisor comfortable. But again, this is one of those places where you should ask for permission and not forgiveness.
Cover Page. Also draft a cover page for the writing sample which includes an express statement that you’ve received permission to use it and defining the project objective or research question at a high-level. Remember that you understand the context of the document your reader won’t. (Here is a great resource from the Georgetown Law Writing Center on the topic.)
Pick Your Best Piece of Writing. If you are lucky you have done a lot of writing this summer. If so, my strong suggestion is to pick the piece that best represents your writing abilities and experience. If you haven’t done much, then really anything that shows your ability to write will do (big or small!) And if you don’t have anything that wasn’t heavily edited or publicly filed then you can use that with permission (just craft an appropriate cover letter as described in #2). And if you have nothing you can use at all—just be prepared to explain why in your job interviews and try to find a way you can get a writing sample in some other way (class paper?).
Give it one more edit. Success on a summer writing project is often about the content of the document. A writing sample is largely judged on the style (given the reader likely won’t know the relevant content). As a result, it is even more important to focus on making sure that there are no typos or formatting errors. Also if it’s longer than 10 pages—pick the best and most easy to read for a non-expert :-).
Keep standing out,
Jonah
PS. This is my last week of SSA for 2025! If you’ve enjoyed the series, used it, shared it, or found it useful, I’d really appreciate a testimonial (happy to keep anonymous if you tell me). Just reply to this e-mail. I’d so appreciate it!
